Activity of the CaMV 35S promoter in various parts of transgenic early flowering birch clones

Early flowering together with small size would be useful for various biotechnical or genetic studies on trees. We report here the selection and micropropagation of early flowering birch (Betula pendula) clones (BPM1–12) obtained from seeds of birches bred elsewhere for early flowering. Under conditions that accelerate flowering (a high CO₂ level, strong and continuous illumination), the first male inflorescences emerged in 3–5 months, the trees then being 20–80 cm high. Transgenic lines (CaMV 35S-GUS INT) were produced through Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer from BPM2, BPM5 and JR1/4 (a normally flowering birch). β-Glucuronidase (GUS) activities in the different lines, assayed 1–1.5 years after transformation, varied greatly. During further in vitro culture for 10 months, the activities decreased to 0.3–7% of the original values. GUS activities were detected in all organs studied, including the developing male inflorescences; the highest activity was in the roots. Received: 28 April 1997 / Revision received: 5 September 1997 / Accepted: 30 November 1997     

Reproduction strategy of Trias verrucosa (Orchidaceae) from China

Trias, an orchid genus, was reported in this paper from China as a newly recorded genus for the first time. The genus and its new species, T. verrucosa Z. J. Liu, L. J. Chen et S. P. Lei, were described and discussed. Trias consists of 19 species ranging from Assam of India to Indonesia and Australia in the southeast via Myanmar to Deccan of India in the southwest. Its occurrence in West Yunnan of China is a further indication of phytogeographical relations between this region and the tropical Asia. This new species grows on shady rocks in forests. By observing of its biological characteristics such as phenology and blooming biology, lots of cloned ramets of generation overlap were found, but there were no fruited plants, and that clonal reproduction could repeat had nothing to do with whether the ramet bloomed or not. The flowering season of this species is from early April to early May. The opening of flowers on plants or inflorescence was irregular and the florescence of single flowers was rather short, only lasting 4–5 d, and no fruited flowers were found. Based on the detection of mating systems, no flowers of artificial self-pollination and artificial cross-pollination have fruited. Since the flowering period is just before the rainy season in this region, the ecological conditions of dryness, strong wind, low temperature and weak light during that period of time are evidently unfavorable to plant blooming, pollinating and fruiting. Apparently, the short duration and sterility of each flower would avoid the invalid energy waste in unfavorable circumstances and save the limited energy for more valid asexual reproduction so that the opportunity of multiplication in an uncertain environment would be increased to ensure the progenitive success. The P/O value of T. verrucosa is 187.4 ± 22.4, which is obviously related with the highly valid usage of its conglutinated and hard tuberous pollinarium during pollination, indicating that this species could hold the characteristic of sexual reproduction. This is an adaptation of this type of plants to the rather atrocious ecological circumstance there by its reproduction strategy of strengthening asexual reproduction and weakening sexual reproduction, and so it enables the plants to survive in this region, long-distanced from the places where its relatives dwell.     

N添加对西南亚高山红桦林根系分泌物及其介导的养分转化过程的影响

目前缺乏对根系分泌物通量以及相关生态后果对不同氮(N)沉降水平响应方向和幅度的深入理解,该研究以西南亚高山典型的红桦(Betula albosinensis)林为研究对象,通过野外原位N添加试验模拟不同氮沉降水平(对照组,0 kg·hm^-2·a(-1);低氮处理,25 kg·hm^-2·a(-1);高氮处理,50 kg·hm^-2·a(-1)),分析了红桦林根系分泌物C输入通量及其介导的根际土壤养分循环过程对不同N添加水平的差异化响应,试图揭示不同N添加处理对红桦根系分泌物C输入通量及其介导的土壤养分转化过程的影响。结果表明：(1)N添加显著抑制了红桦林根系分泌物C输入速率(其中低氮(N25)条件下单位根生物量根系分泌速率均值降低约14.87%)和年C输入通量(低氮条件下降低了约45.01%)(P<0.05),其高氮处理的抑制效应更强。(2)N添加显著抑制了红桦林N矿化速率及其相关的微生物胞外酶活性(P<0.05),并显著降低了其根际效应;N沉降显著抑制了根系分泌物C输入通量及其介导的土壤养分转化过程,并且这种抑...     

Chemical and physical defence in early and late leaves in three heterophyllous birch species native to northern Japan

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Betula ermanii, B. maximowicziana and B. platyphylla var. japonica have heterophyllous leaves (i.e. early leaves and late leaves) and are typical pioneer species in northern Japan. Chemical and physical defences against herbivores in early and late leaves of these species were studied. METHODS: Two-year-old seedlings were grown under full sunlight in a single growing season. Three-week-old leaves of each seedling were harvested three times (May, July and October). Total phenolics and condensed tannin content were determined for chemical defence and leaf toughness and trichome density were assessed for physical defence. Defoliation of early leaves in May was also performed to study the contribution of early leaves to subsequent growth. KEY RESULTS: Chemical and physical defences were greater in early than late leaves in B. platyphylla and B. ermanii, whereas the reverse was true in B. maximowicziana. In contrast to its weak chemical defences, the trichome density in B. maximowicziana was very high. In B. platyphylla and B. ermanii, the relative growth rates (RGR) were greater early in the growing season. Negative effects on growth of removal of early leaves were significant only in B. platyphylla. CONCLUSIONS: B. platyphylla and B. ermanii invest in defence in early rather than late leaves, since early leaves are crucial to subsequent growth. In contrast, B. maximowicziana more strongly defends its late leaves, since its RGR is maintained at the same level throughout the growing season.     

Measuring and modelling leaf diffusive conductance in juvenile silver birch, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Betula pendula</Emphasis>

Leaf diffusive conductance for water (g_l) and twig xylem pressure (_xt) was measured in juvenile silver birch, Betula pendula, under field conditions in southern Sweden. Data from one site were used to parameterise two different multiplicative models for g_l (dependent data), and measurements from another site were used to validate these models (independent data). In addition, experiments were performed in controlled environments to validate the g_l response functions used in the models. The driving variables in the D-model were photosynthetic photon flux density, air temperature and water vapour pressure deficit of the air (D_a), while the DH-model also included the accumulated hours after sunrise each day with D_a above a certain threshold (H). Both models satisfactorily predicted the variation in g_l in dependent as well as in independent data, and the g_l response functions used were supported by the experiments in controlled environments. The DH-model was more successful in predicting g_l than the D-model by accounting for the observation that g_l was lower at higher H under similar weather conditions. There was a considerable variation in maximum g_l during the season, as well as between the two sites. On relatively warm and dry days _xt rapidly declined during the morning and then stabilized around a constant value until the late afternoon, with the stomatal regulation effectively preventing _xt from decreasing below this value. We suggest that these models could be used to simulate the g_l in juvenile birch if maximum g_l is locally estimated and if the response functions are not extrapolated beyond the climate range for this study.     

大兴安岭森林草原过渡带白桦及主要草本植物生态位关系的研究

以白桦、日阴菅及其它主要草本植物的个体数量为指标,分析了各植物种群在土壤有机质,速效P和pH值3个资源维上的生态位宽度和生态位重叠及其在不同海拔条件下的变化规律。日阴菅生态位宽度随海拔升高而增大,其余植物种类在有机质资源维上的生态位宽度,大都是以中等海拔（800m)的样带最宽,而在速效P资源维上,又以中等海拔的样带为最窄,由于高海拔及相应低气温在某种程度上限制了植物种群在土壤有机质和速效P的利用,主要植物种对之间在这两个资源维上的生态位重叠以高海拔（950m)样带为最小,在土壤pH值资源维上,溪荪与其它主要植物种间的生态位重叠皆以低海拔（650m)样带为最小,可能是其特殊的环境组合迫使溪荪发生了生态位移动,大多数种对在土壤有机质,速效P和pH值3个资源维上都以海拔800m的样带生态位重叠最大。     

长白山白桦山杨次生林细根形态特征和解剖结构对氮沉降的响应

根系作为植物与土壤物质交换和养分循环的桥梁,长期以来一直是生态学研究的热点。于2017年7月植物生长季,对长白山模拟11年氮(N)沉降控制试验样地的白桦(Betula platyphylla)山杨(Populus davidiana)天然次生林进行了根系采样,并利用根序法研究了根系形态特征和解剖结构对不同梯度N添加处理的响应,旨在探求两物种根系之间潜在生态联系。本试验共设置了三个N添加梯度,分别为对照(CK,0 g N m~(-2 )a~(-1))、低N处理(T_L,2.5 g N m~(-2 )a~(-1))和高N处理(T_H,5.0 g N m~(-2 )a~(-1))。研究结果如下:1)T_L显著抑制白桦和山杨前三级细根皮层厚度的生长。白桦通过增加皮层细胞直径(一级根增加了72.77%,二级根增加了53.22%,三级根增加了39.96%)但减少皮层层数来降低皮层厚度,而山杨主要通过皮层细胞直径的减少(一级根下降了40.80%,二级根下降了28.17%)来降低其皮层厚度。2)T_H显著抑制山杨前三级细根生长。主要通过增加皮层厚度(一级根增加了68.78%,二级根增加了50.81%,三级根增加了88.53%)以及降低导管横截面积来抑制吸收养分,从而达到影响生长的目的。3)白桦T_H相比于T_L细根直径呈抑制生长状态。其主要通过抑制中柱直径(一级根下降了17.61%,二级根下降了16.89%,三级根下降了20.62%)的生长来实现。以上结果表明,在同一立地条件下,白桦和山杨的细根对不同浓度N沉降的响应方式不同。     

3个温带阔叶树种根系长期分解速率研究

根系分解对土壤碳固持和养分长期有效性具有重要意义,但目前对根系的长期分解模式仍知之甚少。比较3个温带阔叶树种不同直径根系7 a分解动态,可为生态过程模型提供数据支撑。在帽儿山生态站采用分解袋法对白桦（Betula platyphylla）、春榆（Ulmus davidiana var.japonica）、水曲柳（Fraxinus mandshurica）的5个直径等级（< 1 mm）、（1-2 mm）、（2-5 mm）、（5-10 mm）、（10-20 mm）根系进行了7 a野外分解实验。重复测量方差分析表明：时间、树种、直径与树种交互作用、树种与时间交互作用显著影响根系质量保持率。根系质量保持率随时间呈指数下降趋势,7 a间根系经历早期快速分解和后期慢速分解两个阶段,实验结束时根系仍剩余相当部分的初始质量（24%-56%）。利用Olson指数衰减模型估计各树种根系分解系数发现：白桦根系分解系数与根直径间具有显著的线性正相关关系,水曲柳具有显著对数正相关关系,春榆的关系不显著。3个树种短期分解系数均高估根系分解速率,而且不能完全代表长期分解系数的种内、种间差异。研究结果对理解根系长期分解速率随直径变化模式提供了数据支撑。     

Stand structure and regeneration in a Kamchatka mixed boreal forest

Abstract. A 1‐ha plot was established in a Betula platyphylla‐Picea ajanensis mixed boreal forest in the central Kamchatka peninsula in Russia to investigate stand structure and regeneration. This forest was relatively sparse; total density and stand basal area were 1071/ha and 25.8 m²/ha, respectively, for trees > 2.0 cm in trunk diameter at breast height (DBH). 25% of Betula regenerated by sprouting, and its frequency distribution of DBH had a reverse J‐shaped pattern. In contrast, Picea had a bimodal distribution. The growth rates of both species were high, reaching 20 m in ca. 120 yr. The two species had clumped distributions, especially for saplings. Betula saplings were not distributed in canopy gaps. Small Picea saplings were distributed irrespective of the presence/absence of gaps, while larger saplings aggregated in gaps. At the examined spatial scales (6.25–400 m²) the spatial distribution of Betula saplings was positively correlated with living Betula canopy trees and negatively with dead Picea canopy trees. This suggests that Betula saplings regenerated under the crowns of Betula canopy trees and did not invade the gaps created by Picea canopy trees. The spatial distribution of Picea saplings was negatively correlated with living and dead Betula canopy trees and positively with dead Picea canopy trees. Most small Picea seedlings were distributed under the crowns of Picea trees but not under the crowns of Betula trees or in gaps. This suggests that Picea seedlings establish under the crowns of Picea canopy trees and can grow to large sizes after the death of overhead Picea canopy trees. Evidence of competitive exclusion between the two species was not found. At a 20 m × 20 m scale both skewness and the coefficient of variation of DBH frequency distribution of Picea decreased with an increase in total basal area of Picea while those of Betula were unchanged irrespective of the increase in total basal area of Betula. This indicates that the size structure of Picea is more variable with stand development than that of Betula on a small scale. This study suggests that Betula regenerates continuously by sprouting and Picea regenerates discontinuously after gap formation and that the species do not exclude each other.